
Smart Talks with IBM
Join Malcolm Gladwell, author and host of Revisionist History, and hosts from your favorite Pushkin Industries podcasts, for Smart Talks with IBM as they talk to visionaries who are creatively applying technology in business to drive change, and transform their industries.
This season on Smart Talks with IBM, we’re diving back into the world of artificial intelligence, but with a focus on the powerful concept of ‘open’ - its possibilities, implications, and misconceptions. We'll look at openness from a variety of angles and explore how the concept is already reshaping industries, ways of doing business, and our very notion of what's possible.
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Latest episodes

Jun 19, 2023 • 31min
IBM and HBCUs: Fueling a New Generation of Cybersecurity Experts
Education has the power to show students a path they had never considered before. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Dr. Laurie Santos take on tech education at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) with Dr. Derrick Warren, Dean of the College of Business at Grambling State University (former Associate Dean at the Southern University College of Business). They talk about the partnership between IBM SkillsBuild and Southern University to co-create a cybersecurity leadership center for HBCU students and discuss how exposure to first-experiences inspires creativity. Connect with the IBM SkillsBuild community here. Visit us at: ibm.com/smarttalks This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 14, 2023 • 31min
355 Days in Space: Finding Meaning with Astronaut Mark Vande Hei
After a historic 355 days in orbit, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to Earth on March 30, 2022, breaking the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Mark Vande Hei discuss conducting experiments in space, the impact of extended spaceflight on humans, and the spiciness of space chili peppers. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 7, 2023 • 2min
Coming Soon: Smart Talks with IBM Season Finale with Malcolm Gladwell and NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei
On the season finale of Smart Talks with IBM, host Malcolm Gladwell and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei discuss conducting experiments in space, the impact of extended spaceflight on humans, and the spiciness of space chili peppers. Listen to the season finale of Smart Talks with IBM on Tuesday, February 14th. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 29, 2022 • 32min
Clicks, Not Code: Transforming Digital Experiences with Salesforce
Phil Weinmeister, Head of Product, Salesforce Americas at IBM Consulting, discusses how businesses can enhance their digital experiences through the Salesforce platform using the low-code/no-code approach. They explore human-centric design, bridging gaps in digital experiences, and empowering businesses to create better solutions.

Nov 15, 2022 • 30min
Unlocking Data Strategy: Data Literacy for Better Business
Having a good data strategy can streamline the way a company does business. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Ronald Young Jr., host of Solvable, and guest Nicholas Renotte, Data Science and AI Technical Specialist at IBM. They discuss how data literacy can help make a business more efficient, the fundamentals of data management, and why data is step one to AI solutions. A study quoted by Nicholas and referenced in this episode can be found here. Some of Nicholas’ guidance on machine learning can be found here. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 25, 2022 • 24min
Combatting Hiring Bias: Recruiting a Diverse Workforce with Intelligent Automation
Intelligent automation can help combat the human biases that can lead to discriminatory hiring practices. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Jacob Goldstein, host of What’s Your Problem?, and guest Angela Hood, founder and CEO of ThisWay Global. They discuss how intelligent automation can accelerate inclusive hiring practices, why machines can mitigate bias but not remove it, and why diverse companies are more competitive. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 27, 2022 • 34min
The Future of Supply Chain: Building Sustainable and Transparent Businesses
Sustainable supply chains are good for the planet and good for business. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Tim Harford, host of Cautionary Tales, and guest Sheri Hinish, IBM’s Global Sustainability Services Leader and Offering Leader for Sustainable Supply Chain, known as the “supply-chain queen.” They discuss the supply-chain crisis and why transparent, responsible supply chains are imperative for our future. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 30, 2022 • 29min
The Mayflower Autonomous Ship: AI and Automation at Sea
The world’s first autonomous vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean is signaling a new era in maritime technology. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Lauren Ober, host of The Loudest Girl in the World, and guests Brett Phaneuf and Don Scott, the engineers behind the Mayflower Autonomous Ship project. The two explain how automation and AI allowed them to reimagine the design and use of a ship at sea and their implications beyond maritime navigation. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 26, 2022 • 29min
The Good Hacker: Hacking Businesses before Criminals Do
The headlines tell us cyberattacks are a big, consistent threat to business data – and ours. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Tim Harford, host of Cautionary Tales, and Stephanie “Snow” Carruthers, Chief People Hacker for X-Force, IBM. Snow and her team are finding creative solutions to test their clients’ security, including hacking into their systems before criminal hackers do. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 28, 2022 • 27min
Building Trustworthy AI: A Holistic Approach
Advocating for artificial intelligence to be built and deployed ethically is no longer just a compliance issue but more of a business imperative. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Dr. Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Lab, and Phaedra Boinodiris, Trust in AI Practice Leader within IBM Consulting. Phaedra’s team at IBM is creatively tackling the global need to build trustworthy AI by approaching the challenge holistically, implementing design thinking to address problems before they arise. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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